Harry Potter and the Light's Shadow
by Amarylle
Summary: What happens when nothing is as it seems, and the Light is darker than the Dark itself? Who will Harry and Hermione turn to the moment they discover their lives were only a well-organized scheme towards world domination and absolute power? What happens when friends are really foes, and enemies turn out to be allies? Who can they trust?
1. Unexpected Revelations

**Disclaimer:** The wonderful world of Harry Potter and the canon characters belong to J.K Rowling and I am only borrowing them to write for my and other people's enjoyment, without any intention of profiting from it. I thank this creative lady for blessing us with such a rich ground to build up our creativity on!

 **A/N:** Alright, the thing is, _**you will not enjoy this story if you hold Albus Dumbledore, the Weasley family, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, the Diggory family, and most of the Order of the Phoenix members in high regard**_ **.** I would like to state that _this is not a 'bashing' story_ , and I adore most of those characters aplenty, but for my idea to work, _**they will be the ones with the prejudices and the darkness.**_ Dumbledore is the _real_ Dark Lord of this story, and everything is his scheme towards world domination, but I cannot say more, as that will spoil how I would like to work this. This does not mean that the Dark is actually Light, because that is _not_ true, they are just true to their selves, as opposed to the Light, who mask themselves in innocence.

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It was in the chaos of the aftermath of the Triwizard Tournament that found Harry Potter and Hermione Granger huddled together in one of the dim corners of the Infirmary. The brunette witch held her best friend in her arms as he let his emotions go and sobbed into her soft hair, holding on to her like his life depended on it, and in his mind it really did.

For _The-Boy-Who-Lived_ , it was almost expected that he would get into some life-threatening mishap every single year, and his Fourth Year was not an exception from that. It was announced at the Welcoming Feast that the school would host an elusive and most prestigious event, that would bring eternal glory to the daring and bold, who was adventurous enough to put their name forward to possibly be selected as a Champion.

There was an explanation about how a selection of students would arrive from two other Wizarding Schools, Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. When they arrived in a flash of magic, they paraded their unique abilities around to show-off to the Hogwarts student body, in a clear message of skill and poise.

It came as a shock that Viktor Krum, who was an international Quidditch player, arrived with the rest of the Durmstrang contingent, to enter his name in the Goblet of Fire. His presence meant that there were drooling witches staring longingly in the Bulgarian Seeker's direction, and excited wizards sought his autograph.

There was a breeze of anticipation blowing through the Great Hall when it was time to begin the Selection Ceremony. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, did the honours of announcing the selected Champions. His enchanted voice boomed as he read the names out loud. It was decided that Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum would represent their respective schools in the tournament, which was when _it_ happened, and the flickering flames threw another name into the mix, _Harry Potter_.

That was the moment when pandemonium erupted, and a bewildered teenage wizard's predicament generated disbelief, shock and betrayal among year-long friends. The shared consensus was that Harry found a way to cheat the age restriction lines, and sneaked his name into the Goblet. Even though his Professors knew better, and realized that whomever entered his name wished harm to come to the boy, they did nothing to dispel the character deflaming rumours.

There was only one person who _publicly_ believed in his innocence, the one witch who unwaveringly stood by his side, his best friend, Hermione Granger. She explained her reasoning that there was no way he would _knowingly_ endanger his life, and this tournament was anything, but a free-ride towards glory, and besides, she knew how much he hated his fame. When she then told him with a soft teasing tone that there was no way that _he_ would do something _so utterly stupid_ , she lightened his mood, and got the first genuine grin from him since the unfortunate announcement.

It was a well-guarded secret of theirs that Harry was much more intellectually distinguished than he portrayed in his classes. In their First Year of school, the pair connected instantly when they started a conversation away from their redheaded classmate, and talked about their childhood. They realized how familiar their situations were, and confided in each other.

Harry and Hermione talked about how they were both lonely, and the butt of jokes and bullying by their muggle classmates. He shared the abuse that was inflicted upon him by his Aunt, Uncle and their whiny son, and she reciprocated by telling him about the emotional neglect that she experienced. She talked about how she found her solace in books, and she explained why she was so eager to learn and show that she was not to be underestimated.

Harry then sheepishly shared that he always had to hide how much he knew and understood. He secretly befriended the Librarian in their school, and the old woman let him sit in her Library and read for hours on end, until he had to go home and complete his chores. Hermione smiled at that revelation, and then they started discussing that given his fame, and the expectations that they both could sense were radiating his way, they decided that he _should_ down-play his intelligence and skills somewhat, so he _was_ underestimated.

The raven-haired boy grinned at his friend, and agreed that was a brilliant and rather mischievous idea, that he could easily get behind. After this talk, their friendship had only grown stronger every year, and this year brought something new in the air between them. At the Eve of the Yule Ball, Harry was shocked into the realization that his female best friend was the most beautiful girl in the castle in his eyes.

Unlike their other friend, Ron, he was always aware that Hermione was a girl, but he never considered that she could become _more_ than a friend to him, because in the back of his mind he figured that what he felt towards her was what a brother would feel for his sister. He discovered how wrong he was when he saw her attend the Ball on the arm of Viktor Krum. There was a sinking uncomfortable sensation bubbling in the pit of his stomach every time he saw him hold her close to him.

Unbeknownst to Harry, Hermione had a similar problem when she spotted him dancing with Parvati Patil at the opening dance. Her heart sank into her stomach as she saw his arms around her waist, as he cautiously lifted her into the air. Even though she was dancing with her date, her attention was on Harry, rather than on Viktor, which the tall Bulgarian brought up at the end of their date, and she flushed bright red, and apologized for not giving him the attention he deserved.

He was surprisingly understanding, and told her that he should not have invited someone else's girlfriend to the Ball, and left the spluttering witch behind. She was shocked that he thought that Harry was her boyfriend, because they were only best of friends, and that is what she assumed they would always remain, as he never showed the slightest bit of interest in her, even though she was crushing on him since last year. She wished he would ask her to the Yule Ball, but she was aware that was merely wishful thinking, and unfortunately it never happened.

Since that night, there was a new tension in their air between them, but they carried on like normal. They shared snuggles in front of the Common Room fireplace, and they studied in the Library together, their heads and shoulders bumped against one another as they trained for the tournament.

Even though it was Harry whom they had to get ready for his challenges, Hermione learned all the charms, curses, hexes and jinxes right beside him. The brilliant witch often mastered the spells before her friend did, but when Harry learned something, he would easily out-perform her. While Hermione had theory and spell-casting accuracy in her arsenal, Harry had creativity, and an immense amount of magical power at his call, that he could draw from.

Together they poured through old tomes about Defense, Charms and Offensive Spells, and given Harry's affinity to get deviously creative, they looked through Advanced Transfiguration texts in search of useful spells he could learn. Hermione even found a spell in one obscure book, that would allow her to make magical copies of the books in the Hogwarts Library, and she was excited to try that out, but did not get the chance yet, because Madame Pince was a very able guardian, and her eyes were seemingly everywhere.

Sometimes the pair thought that there was more to the Librarian than they knew, but they batted those thoughts away, and went back to scouring for useful information that could aid Harry to survive the tasks.

The duo had a much easier time to train when their other friend, Ronald Weasley, was sulking in his self-inflicted feeling of Harry's betrayal to exclude him from his supposed shenanigans to cheat his way into the tournament. They discovered early on that the redhead's loyalty was as fickle as Veela allure. There were many occasions that he alienated either Harry or Hermione, and there were only so many times they could forgive him completely. They let him hang around them, but they did not trust him anymore, thus a lot of conversation and information they found out remained private between the two of them.

When the Second Task came and passed by, Harry was incensed that they had the audacity to take living beings as hostages. He was seething with anger that Dumbledore risked Hermione's life, and he did not understand _why_ he assumed that it would be Ron whom he treasured the most, because it most certainly was _not_ the case. Even without his budding romantic feelings towards the witch, she was still the dearest person to his heart, and the youngest Weasley male did not rate anywhere close.

If he was honest with himself, he counted Neville a closer friend than he did Ron. This year showed him the shy Gryffindor wizard had a sense of honour that his redheaded friend lacked. He quietly drew him and Hermione to the side two days after the ruckus the Goblet of Fire had caused, and let them know that he believed in Harry, and he apologized for not standing up for him publicly. They smiled at him, and thanked him for his sincerity, and even though he respected their close-knit friendship, he had occasionally trained with them, and it was thanks to Neville that they found a solution to the dilemma of breathing underwater for an hour.

When Winter faded into Spring, and the flowers were in fragrant bloom, they continued training for the final task with a new ferocity, as they were well aware how Harry's summer terms usually went. That was when their misadventures neared their climax, and everything would come undone, resulting in their lives being threatened. There was no doubt in either of their minds about the fact that it would be the same this year, and they had a sense of foreboding gloom that hovered above their heads.

The Third Task was by far the most dangerous and most traumatic for young Harry Potter to survive, but survive he did, at a heartbreaking cost. One of his fellow competitor's life was lost. Cedric Diggory, the honourable Hufflepuff Champion, the one _true_ Hogwarts Champion had died by the wand of a Death-Eater, and according to his reasoning, it was all _his_ fault.

He kindheartedly proposed a Hogwarts double-victory, as both boys neared the Cup together, but the second they touched it, he realized that he had made a mistake, as they were whisked away to a cemetery, landing in a heap on the muddy soil in different parts of the area. As his eyes searched for Cedric, so he could warn him to take the Cup and go, he realized with horror that Pettigrew had his wand pointed at the young wizard, and as a bright green light left the wooden stick, Cedric had the lights fade from his very eyes, to the sound of maniacal laughter.

Harry had to endure the ex-Marauder's jibes and taunts, that he found out of character from the wizard that he met last year, but he did not have any time to question it, as he was used in a dark ritual to bring The Dark Lord back to life, only to be challenged to a duel, as his loyal followers watched on. No one expected their wands to connect and perform an unusual kind of magic together, and he was overwhelmed when he was surrounded by the ghosts of the past. He saw Cedric, who asked him to take his body back to his parents, and then to his shock, his parents appeared and talked with him, buying him ample time to escape.

He summoned the Cup into his hand, and grabbed Cedric's lifeless body, and they traveled back to Hogwarts, arriving in front of the maze, before the audience's very eyes. Professors and the judges had rushed towards them, with Hermione, Ron and Neville following close behind. The Headmaster disappeared with Cedric and his parents, and he did not think much about it, but eventually only Hermione remained by his side, who half-supported, half-dragged him towards the Infirmary, where he completely broke down.

"Shh." Hermione soothed him gently, as she caressed his messy hair with her fingertips. "None of this was your fault." She whispered, holding him closer. "Please believe me, Harry." Her soft voice pleaded with him, the usual bossy undertones absent, and replaced with a gentle warmth.

" _I_ suggested we _both_ grab the Cup, 'Mi." He replied, his voice raw and strained. "It is _my_ fault Cedric had died." He insisted, clutching her tightly in his arms.

"Of course you suggested it, because you have a good heart, but his death is _not_ your fault, you could not have known that the object was a Portkey." She whispered passionately, resting her chin atop his head, holding him closely. "If you _had_ any idea what the Cup really was, you would not have let any of your fellow Champions get a hold of it. I know you Harry, and we _both_ know you have a saving people thing." She sighed. "You would have jumped head first into trouble before letting anyone else face it."

"Well said, Miss Granger." The Headmaster interrupted, before Harry could reply. "Harry, may I speak with you in private?" He asked, looking at the boy.

Harry lifted his head slightly to stare at the white-bearded wizard blankly. He felt a sort of empty numbness seeping inside him. His chaotic thoughts swirled around in his head, and he couldn't help, but keep re-living the horror of seeing the light fade out of Cedric's eyes, as he crumbled into a lifeless heap on the muddy terrain. He swallowed, tightened his hold on Hermione, because she was his lifeline, and shook his head in the negative.

"I-, I don't want to be without Hermione right now." He mumbled, and the little witch's expression softened, and she rested her chin on his head once more, holding him in her embrace. If there was any way she could help him feel better, she was determined to follow through. Harry was her world, and he needed her right now.

Dumbledore subtly raised an eyebrow and stared at the boy. "Sirius is waiting for you in my office. Wouldn't you like to meet him?" He asked gently, and saw as conflicting emotions filled his eyes.

Harry glanced at Hermione briefly, and they communicated with their eyes, and she nodded subtly at him, letting him know that she agreed with him. "Can Hermione come with?" He asked, and looked pleadingly at the Headmaster. He wanted to see Sirius, but right now he craved his best friend's company way more than his Godfather's.

The Headmaster's gaze flickered back and forth between his young charges, and eventually agreed. "Yes, Miss Granger can accompany you. Would you like me to send for Mr. Weasley as well?"

Harry shook his head slightly. "No, Headmaster. He disappeared off to somewhere, and there is no need to interrupt whatever he is doing, it must be important after all." If the old wizard was surprised by this admission, it did not show.

"Please come up to my office after Madame Pomfrey treats your injuries. I do have something rather important to take care of."

"We will." Hermione politely agreed, and they watched as the Headmaster left the Infirmary.

"I really don't want to recount what happened at the cemetery, 'Mi, and I suspect that is what he wants." Harry frowned, as he wiped his tearful eyes with his sleeve.

She nodded. "I know Harry, but you have to, so Professor Dumbledore can help you." She sighed. "You know as well as I, that if there is one wizard _You-Know-Who_ is afraid of, it is Dumbledore."

Harry slumped slightly, and no matter how much he disliked it, he knew she was right. Only the Headmaster had the power to protect them from the terror of Voldemort.

He stared blankly at the beds of the Infirmary, holding Hermione's hand, as Healer Pomfrey quickly treated his injuries, and got some potions into his system, before they left to make their way to the Headmaster's Office.

~oo~oOo~oo~

Albus Dumbledore had a dilemma, and that dilemma's name was Miss Hermione Granger. That young witch had way too much influence over his precious chess piece, and he needed to deal with her immediately.

He was deep in his thoughts, as he muttered his password and pushed forward, leaving the Gargoyle that guarded his office slightly open, and as he entered the spacious circular room, a small group of people gathered around him, eagerly anticipating his arrival.

"Where is the boy, Albus?" Molly Weasley asked with a curious voice.

"In the Infirmary, with Miss Granger." He frowned, and walked behind his desk to sit on his golden throne-like chair.

"Didn't you tell him _I_ was waiting for him?" Sirius Black asked in indignation. "I find it hard to believe that he would refuse meeting _me_." He snorted. He had the young wizard eating out of his hands, as he was supposed to, so this was rather surprising.

Dumbledore chuckled. "And you would be right, Sirius, he did not refuse." He sighed, and tapped his chin lightly, gazing at the tall wizard from behind his half-moon shaped spectacles. "He merely objected to come without Miss Granger."

Molly's face reddened at the mention of the young witch, and she worded her frustration. "That little mudblood bint! According to my children, she is always hanging around Harry, keeping her dirty hands around him, and flaunting her brain, like she was worth anything." She huffed. "Every respectable witch and wizard knows that she cannot measure up to the worth of a proper Pureblood."

There was a murmur of agreement among the occupants of the office, as they looked at each other and nodded. Muggleborns had their place, but it was far beneath them, and preferably in the Muggle World where they belonged, wiped of their magical abilities and memories, and away from their society, which they threatened with their very existence. They had absolutely no desire to mix with the non-magical filth.

"I agree Molly, but everything has it's time and place." Her husband, Arthur agreed. "We all have a role to play here, and our family has to put up with her kind for a little while longer." He said calmly. "Not to mention that if we play things right, we can use her to our cause." He chuckled.

The plump redhead witch was not completely placated, but she nodded and held her youngest children close to her. "I am sorry you have to endure her presence, my darlings. It must be really difficult to breathe the same air she does." She sighed, and fussed over her favourite brethren.

"You have no idea how hard it is, Mum, especially when she goes on and on about the boring crap she reads about." Ron said with an expression of disgust. "It's not normal, or healthy to read all day, and it is just one more thing that is unnatural about her."

Ginny nodded. "And then she gets in the way of my flirting with my Harry all the time." She huffed, with a dark look in her eyes. "He was supposed to be looking at me as possible girlfriend-material by now, and yet he ignores me more often than not."

Ginevra's eyes were filling with tears at her admission, and she briefly glanced at Dumbledore, in fear of his reaction. Looking at him as his expression darkened, she realized her fears were justified, as he flicked his wrist at the young redhead witch, and she writhed in pain on the ground, suffering under the effects of a non-verbal, and wandless _Crucio_.

"I expect more from _you_ , Ginevra." Dumbledore said in a voice, that was unlike his grandfatherly persona. He genuinely liked the girl, but that did not mean he did not have to punish her when she deserved it.

Once he released her from his administrations, Ginny's body slumped, and she panted heavily on the floor, closing her eyes to gather herself, and her strength to stand back up. Ron's heart went out to his sister, as she was trying to catch her breath, and he vowed to avenge her pain tenfold on the mudblood, because it was Hermione, who stood in his sister's way.

"I expect you to ensnare Harry by the end of next year, am I _clear_ , Ginevra?" The Headmaster asked the girl, who forced herself into a standing position, and bowed her head.

"Yes, my Lord." She promised, and her body trembled when the old wizard stepped closer, to gently run his fingers through her silky red hair with a serene smile.

"Excellent, my dear. I am sure that your lovely Mother can brew you a potion if you need it." He glanced at Molly, and she nodded with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

It was a well-guarded secret that Molly Weasley was a masterful Potions Mistress. She apprenticed under Albus himself, and she was certainly an asset to his plans, which she was always privy to know about, before anyone else was trusted with the information.

"Now that we sorted that out, before I interview Harry to tell me what he _thinks_ happened from his point of view, I would like a report on what _really_ happened at the cemetery." Dumbledore ordered, and his request was met with wide grins, and quite a few amused chuckles.

"It was a lot of fun to use my skills to pose as _Lord Voldemort_ , as he rose from the over-sized cauldron that we transfigured for the ritual." Nymphadora Tonks laughed heartily. "It is always fun to play pretend, but this was something else entirely."

"You should have seen the horror on Harry's face as he witnessed the ritual." Remus said. "It was entirely delicious to watch." He admitted. The werewolf had a definite sadistic streak, ever since he willingly underwent the infliction at Dumbledore's order, so he could eventually have the werewolf community under his thumb, with Remus acting as their Alpha.

"I was not particularly enjoying the mental torture of my Godson, but I could definitely tell that we were believable." He nodded. Sirius actually grew fond of Harry over the years, and he was struggling with the concept that Dumbledore already planned the way he had to die a hero for his diabolical plans to work out.

"You are such a softie." Snorted a tall, younger wizard. "I really _enjoyed_ playing dead. Harry's compassion was very amusing, and I could have a lot of fun appearing in front of him." Cedric chuckled, as he replayed the scene in his head. He had taken his N.E.W.T.s early in the year, so he could contribute his part to _The Plan_.

"It was quite ingenious that you stored Lily and James Potter's hair under a Stasis spell to use in Polyjuice Potions, so some of us could play the part of Harry's dead parents in the illusion we projected." Peter Pettigrew chuckled.

"Oh, look at you using big words, you rat." Remus grinned, playfully shoving his best friend on his arm. He was actually still under a _Glamour Charm_ to make him seem fat and rat-like, but in all actuality he was a very handsome blond wizard, who had a family of his own under a different name.

"You know I have a brain, Moony." Peter rolled his eyes and chuckled. He played the part of a rat really well, but he wasn't the underdog among the Marauders, as everyone thought he was, that role fell to the late James Potter. Albus Dumbledore's scheme for total world domination, and absolute power did not start just a few years ago after all.

"Enough of your banter boys!" Albus shook his head. "I am pleased the plan went well though." He smiled, and turned towards the Diggory family. "When Harry gets here, I want you and Thalia to act devastated, but don't blame the boy, and refuse the prize money when he offers it to you." He instructed.

Amos Diggory furrowed his eyebrows. "Wouldn't it be more effective for our act, if we put some blame on the boy? He would beat himself up about it, and he would be much more receptive to your manipulations." He mused.

The Headmaster sighed, and shook his head. "Trust me, Amos, he already blames himself for Cedric's _'death'_ , so we don't have to work that angle. However, refusing the prize money will most likely lead to him giving it away to the Weasleys."

Ron grinned. "I can't wait for the last stages of _The Plan_ , when we can reveal everything to Potter and Granger, before they meet their unfortunate end." He was quite excited to be a part of their demise, and he wanted to physically do a few things to the mudblood, before he granted her a painful death.

"The Potter wealth is vast, and it is important for our purpose to get our hands on it." Dumbledore explained. "That is why it is crucial that our Ginevra sacrifices her maidenhood for the _Greater Good_ of Wizarding Society." He caressed her silky hair once more, and looked at her fondly. "Once you are blessed with a child under your heart, and wear the Potter ladyship ring, your role in this scheme will be completed, and you and Cedric can give in to your love." He promised, and released the trembling girl into her waiting paramour's arms.

The couple had never even kissed yet, because they were waiting for Ginny to get older, but they were promised to each other from her birth, and they actually grew up together, with the wizard a few years ahead of her. They both agreed to experience teenage dating and love, and be free of any unreasonable petty jealousies, until they could actually get together. That is why it did not bother Ginny in the slightest that Cedric was going out with Cho Chang, or that she was supposed to be with Potter. It was just how things were supposed to be, so everyone accepted it.

There was one person in the room who had not spoken yet, but he was not here to speak his mind, he was here to observe. His obsidian eyes calculatingly flickered from person to person, analyzing every gesture, movement, and look they made. He sent out a subtle Legilimency probe to be perceptive to the occupants' stray thoughts, and pick up possibly precious information that way. It was so subtle, that not even Albus noticed it was there.

"Severus, what do you think about tonight's events?" Dumbledore turned to look at his Potions Master, who was unfortunately more talented than him, or his Apprentice, which was one of the reasons he kept him around.

The Slytherin Head's lips curved into a cold smile. "I like it. You know that I am always delighted when James Potter's arrogant little spawn gets what he deserves."

The members of Dumbledore's inner circle chuckled amusedly at Snape's outburst. He had a deep rooting hatred for Potter, and very luckily for _The Plan_ , it carried through to his son as well.

"Excellent." Albus' eyes twinkled with delight. Severus was always his favourite pawn to play with, despite his superior skills in Potions.

"If you will all excuse me, I have a cauldron of Felix Felicis brewing, and the simmering time is almost over, and I have to go and stir." He excused himself, and Dumbledore nodded, and dismissed him from their company.

As he made his way down the stairs, he came in straight vision of a pair of Gryffindors, who were seemingly frozen in place, holding to each other's hands, with their backs tight against the wall, and matching ghostly pale expressions gracing their ashen faces.

Severus quickly made up his mind, and grabbed the shell-shocked teenagers by their arms, and disappeared into one of the secret corridors leading from the hall of the Headmaster's Office's entrance, to the floor of the Room of Requirements. He quickly paced in front of the blank wall and thought about a quiet and secretive place to have a discussion with Potter and Granger, and once the door appeared, he pulled the pair inside with him, and closed the door.

Once he pushed the shocked witch and wizard onto a comfortable looking emerald sofa, he asked the question that was bothering him the most.

"How much did you hear?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Plot twist!

I know that I have several on-going stories to write, but this idea came to me last night, so I've sat myself down and started writing it down today. I was intrigued by the idea that sometimes not everything is what it seems, and it would be interesting to see how I can spin what happened in canon to mean something entirely different.

Where there is Light, a shadow always follows, for one cannot be without the other, but what if the Light is _so_ dark, it is basically an illusion?

I have several spins on the _actual_ character of Voldemort, so much so, that I haven't decided which one I am going with yet, but as you can see the Dark Lord that returns, is nothing but Dumbledore's illusion.

Harry and Hermione will have to deal with a lot of manipulations. Can they find real friends in this sea of deceit? Furthermore, can they trust Severus, or will he lead them astray? What truly happened to the Potters, and what will become of _The Plan_?

Stay tuned if you are interested!


	2. Did I ever really know you?

**A/N:** First of all, thank you for the reviews, favouries and follows. I appreciate the warm welcome that this story has received. _**Secondly, and to the point, another bit of warning, before you read. You might not enjoy this chapter if you are firmly attached to how events played out before Harry's birth. I twisted quite a lot around, and it's a vastly different set-up.**_ Please read with an open mind!

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Severus Snape was already present in the Headmaster's Office, when Albus walked inside the circular room, deep in thought. The Potions Master could tell that something was troubling the elderly wizard, and soon enough he gave a voice to his frustration, and told the members of his Order, that Harry would not come to his office without Miss Granger's company.

The Dark wizard had to deeply dive into his Occlumency skills, not to let his amusement bubble forth at this news. It was very obvious to anyone, who possessed a decent pair of eyes, and a touch of common sense, that the youngest Potter was irrevocably attracted to the Gryffindor witch, and it was very much reciprocated. In fact, he took great entertainment from the many glowering stares the pair received daily from jealous swooning witches, and a handful of drooling wizards, who noticed that the brunette witch was more female, than they ever thought would be possible.

He wanted to roll his eyes when Molly went off on a tangent about Granger, and he could see that her youngest kids approved of her opinion. Severus did not really have a problem with muggleborns in their society, as in his youth he even fell in love with one.

The beautiful Lily Evans stole his breath and heart away, and their friendship slowly blossomed into something more, something truly wonderful, something that was cruelly taken from him, before it could have become public knowledge. He needed all his Slytherin slyness to never show that he was painfully aware of the vile act Dumbledore, and his band of Gryffindor chess pieces committed against him.

Severus Snape could smell a Love Potion from a mile away, and he knew with a hundred percent certainty that there was simply no other way Lily would suddenly be in love with Potter, for she was _his_ girlfriend, and they were _besotted_ with each other. Furthermore, the three of them had another secret that definitely was _not_ common knowledge. James Potter was their _best friend_ , and their public sniping was nothing more, but a devious act.

They discovered halfway into their Second Year of school, that Professor Dumbledore had an ulterior agenda, and he did not shy away from using his students to further his evil causes. They overheard a conversation between him and Remus Lupin, where he asked him to willingly agree to be bitten by one of his werewolf 'friends', so the scrawny boy could gain the power he so desired.

The unlikely trio was shocked beyond belief when the young Gryffindor grinned, and happily agreed to what the Headmaster wanted from him. Lily even wondered whether the boy was under some sort of mind-control, but they quickly had to throw that idea away, because they did not see any signs of Remus being controlled in any way.

It was hard to swallow for three twelve year old children, that one of their year-mates had such a dark desire to become a murderous, bloodthirsty creature. Lily even cried about it a couple of times, and the boys had to physically restrain her once, so they could stop her before she got the lot of them into trouble, by trying to talk Remus out of his insane notion. Neither of her friends were thrilled either, but they had enough common sense to see how disastrous her outburst could be. Albus Dumbledore was never someone to be taken lightly, and they both knew he would have done _anything_ to stop her from meddling with his plans.

Ever since they discovered their Headmaster's true colours, they were extremely careful around him, and because Severus insisted, they threw themselves into learning Occlumency, to protect their minds from any kind of intrusion. The Slytherin wizard was a naturally gifted Occlumens, while James and Lily took some time to learn how to properly protect their thoughts.

That is how they were able to fool the old goat, and everyone else into thinking that Lily and James were a couple in love. It did not take long for the young, and extremely talented Potions genius to neutralize the Love Potion in Lily's system, and once she was not under the influence anymore, she was appalled at being used like that. With the help of James, the couple devised a plan to still be able to date, and put on a show for the Hogwarts rumour mill at the same time.

They orchestrated a few nasty arguments for the masses, and privately laughed them off, amused at the antics of the student body, and their so called _'friends'_. Sirius and Remus were by far the loudest and nastiest towards Severus, and they abused Dumbledore's favouritism against him plenty of times, to the dismay of him and his friends. They were powerless to do anything about that however, because no Staff member was willing to stand up for a Slytherin, _not even their own Head of House_.

After they graduated, he proposed to the woman he loved with all his heart, and she said yes. With Potter's help, they organized a wedding, where using a much more effective version of Polyjuice Potion, the boys switched identities, and with James' blessing, Lily married the _true_ man of her dreams. Even though the verbal vows were between Lily Evans and James Potter, Magic recognized and blessed the union between Lily Evans and Severus Snape, and the newly-weds briefly glowed with a soft golden light.

On the night of their honeymoon, the blissful couple had conceived a child, who was born eight months and twenty-one days later, as the seventh month died. When Harry arrived, James offered to do a blood-adoption ritual, so the little one would be forevermore be known as Heir of House Potter. The Snapes were touched, and agreed to do the ritual, knowing that it would help both with keeping their secret safe, and keeping the Potter line alive.

One more bit of information that the public was not privy to was that James Potter was not interested in the fairer sex. He would never have even looked at Lily twice in the romantic sense, thus the Love Potion incident left as much of a distaste in his mouth, as it did for the lovebirds. As much as he adored their fiery friend, there was no way she would ever mean more to him than a sister.

As a thank you for his thoughtfulness, Harry received the middle name James, in tribute to his very thoughtful and loving _real_ Godfather. They have spent a lot of time bonding, as Lily and Severus had asked him to babysit plenty of times, both so they could sneak away for some alone time, and so the bespectacled wizard's father act would be believable.

Thankfully they had no problems with that, because little Harry had taken a shine to his _'Dada Jayjay',_ as he so fondly called him, which made the married couple snicker, and they often teasingly called him _Jayjay_ after that, which the raven-haired wizard took in his stride with a wide grin on his face. It was no secret between the three of them that their son had his Godfather wrapped around his little finger, and it was heartwarming to watch them together.

It was incredibly difficult to oppose Dumbledore's attempts at controlling the _'Potters'_ , and eventually when they would not agree with his diabolical plans, and wanted out of his precious Order of the Phoenix, he let Sirius and Remus deal with the situation, while blaming their untimely demise on Voldemort.

Severus' expression hardened under his stoic mask, as he remembered that these people standing around him were the reason Lily and his best friend died. They murdered them to further their plans for world domination, and Dumbledore cursed Harry with a scar, that would serve his evil purposes. It took all of his willpower not to exact revenge on them right then and there when it all happened, but as a Slytherin, he knew that there were more subtle ways to go about revenge, and the whole bloody rotten lot will feel a world of pain, and the kind of power they could _only_ dream about achieving, when his allies and he are done with them.

He willingly joined up with Voldemort, who promised that if he swore loyalty to him, he would see Dumbledore, and his Order of Headless Chickens get their comeuppance. He was not an innocent wizard, as much was _obvious_ to him, but neither was _he_. The man he had joined up with did not care about how pure one's blood was, or how much influence one had, because he nurtured ambition, creativity, deviousness, and the natural Darkness that lingered in one's Soul.

According to Voldemort, everyone had a touch of Darkness inside them, and how it shaped itself, depended on whether a witch, or wizard attempted to hide it, or harnessed it for their benefit. No individual could ever achieve true harmony and balance without getting in touch with their wild side, and being a very intelligent person, he was well aware of that. His true aim was to create a Wizarding society, where everyone had the chance to live up to their _true_ potential, getting a handle on their Magic, from _all_ perspectives. It did not matter to Voldemort, whether the magic-wielder was muggleborn, half-blood, or a pureblood, what mattered was that they had the ambition to be the best that they could be.

Of course, he also saw _himself_ lead his people towards this better future, and anyone who got in the way of his ideals, would have to either change their mind, or disappear. He was slightly bothered by the idea of so much potential possibly lost to their society, but he knew that sometimes violence and pain were the only motivators to achieve certain goals, and he certainly _enjoyed_ revelling in his Darkness.

Riddle also enjoyed scaring the muggles for fun, especially the ones who threatened and abused children, and abandoned them, throwing them to the wolves, so they could live their perfect little lives without the responsibility of caring for another. His childhood experiences inspired him to wreck havoc among the disgusting filth, who harmed children. He may be a Dark Wizard, but even he had limits and a heart. Lord Voldemort had never even thought about causing pain to the innocent, and in his mind only children fell to that category, thus he severely punished his followers when they tortured the young and helpless, after all they could always find other victims for their amusement.

It was rather easy for Severus to see the advantages in joining with this brilliant wizard, who would help him accomplish ending Dumbledore's evil masquerade reign of power. Being able to freely practice the Dark Arts was just a perk on the road of revenge for him.

He was secretly seething with a pure white hot rage on the inside at hearing the recount of the event that passed in the graveyard. He had to forcefully throw up several extra Occlumency shields to prevent his repulsion from showing at knowing how these monsters treated his son. The Potions Professor carefully noted that Remus took sick pleasure from scaring Harry, so naturally he would have to suffer the most. His eyes then flickered to the youngest Weasley male, and he noticed the mad gleam of glee in his eyes, and silently swore to himself that one day when he came of age, he would pay as well. For now, perhaps causing some strain in the Weasley family would do. He would have to lament on that some more, before starting anything, but he knew it would have to do with the twins, Fred and George, as they genuinely seemed to like Harry, so maybe swaying them to their side would be for the best.

He was broken out of his musings when the elderly wizard turned to look at him, and asked about his stance on the events. He plastered a cold smile on his face, as he shared his opinion. He smoothly twisted his words and lied. "I like it. You know that I am always delighted when James Potter's arrogant little spawn gets what he deserves."

Once again he had to fight the need to roll his eyes, as the occupants of the office shared some amused chuckles at his expense. They always took pleasure from his cold demeanor, and he thought that was another piece of proof at how twisted and sick they were, as his public persona was _entirely vile_.

"If you will all excuse me, I have a cauldron of Felix Felicis brewing, and the simmering time is almost over, and I have to go and stir." He excused himself, and Dumbledore nodded, and dismissed him from their company.

He actually already finished brewing a batch of the Luck Potion a few hours ago, but he knew that the meeting would be wrapped up soon, and he was needed elsewhere. Severus only barely walked down a few stairs, when he laid his eyes on his frozen son, and his best friend. His eyes flickered with a touch of worry, and he knew that he needed to act fast, otherwise they would all be caught.

He quickly made up his mind, and grabbed the shell-shocked teenagers by their arms, and disappeared into one of the secret corridors leading from the hallway of the Headmaster's Office's entrance, to the floor of the Room of Requirements. He paced in front of the blank wall, and thought about a quiet and secretive place to have a discussion with his son and Granger, and once the door appeared, he pulled the pair inside with him, and closed the door.

Once he pushed the shocked witch and wizard onto a comfortable looking emerald sofa, he asked the question that was bothering him the most.

"How much did you hear?" He asked.

Hermione's eyes were as wide as a house-elf's, and Harry was not better off either. They did not expect to overhear such a discussion, and they were reeling from the shock, and the betrayal of not only the Headmaster, but Sirius, Remus, the Weasley family and _even_ Cedric. The fact that he faked his death was probably the most difficult to swallow, especially from Harry's perspective.

The brunette witch broke herself out of her daze first, and turned to look at the Slytherin wizard. "We heard _everything_ , Professor." She said, her voice thin, and shaken, but her hand subtly edging towards her wand, should it be needed.

Snape's obsidian orbs bored into her cinnamon coloured eyes, as he drawled. "You won't need your wand Miss Granger, but even if you _did_ , you would not be able to get a lucky shot in, before I disarmed you." He explained the situation, and the girl's complexion paled slightly. "Fear not, Miss Granger, I do not plan on harming you, or Mr. Potter." He reassured the trembling witch, and glanced at his son.

"Are you okay, Mr. Potter?" He inquired, as he turned to face the raven-haired wizard.

Harry turned to look at his father, and his gaze flickered to Hermione, and then looked questioningly at the older wizard, who nodded. " _Dad!_ " He exclaimed after he was granted permission, and crashed into his waiting arms, leaving a slack-jawed witch behind, who was gaping at the unlikely scene, like a fish out of water.

"My _son_." Snape whispered, and held him close in his arms, physically checking if everything was still intact, and only after reassuring himself that Harry was relatively unscathed, did he look at his shocked best friend. "I believe some explanation is in order, Miss Granger."

Hermione was staring at them with wide eyes, anxiously wringing her hands together, her whole body trembling from her nerves. " _H-harry?_ " She asked in a quivering whisper. "W-what's g-going o-on?"

The emerald-eyed wizard let go of his father, and turned to look at his visibly out of sorts best friend. Not only did she learn the truth about him, but she also overheard the evil plans of Dumbledore and his cohorts, thus it was rather understandable that she needed some answers. He walked back to the sofa, and sat back down next to her, reaching out to gently take her hands. The young wizard was delighted to note that she did not flinch away. That was a good sign.

"I haven't been exactly forthcoming with you, 'Mi." He sighed, gazing at her face with a look of sadness. "When I was old enough to attend Hogwarts, we did not know whether we could really trust anyone with my true identity, so Dad decided it was better to be safe and sorry, and I was registered for my First Year under the name of my Godfather anyway."

"Your Godfather?" She echoed.

"James Potter was Mum's and Dad's best friend, and when I was born, they asked him to be my Godfather." He said fondly. "He helped my parents keep dating, after Dumbledore slipped Mum a Love Potion keyed to James, and Dad neutralized the offending effect. They had married each under the guise of Mum marrying my Godfather, but Magic itself blessed their union."

Hermione was horrified at Dumbledore's actions, and that quickly overpowered any sense of shock she felt over the news. "That vile, loathsome, evil old goat!" She said angrily, her eyes ablaze with fire. "I cannot believe that he has the audacity to lord over other people's lives, it's absolutely sick!" She voiced her frustration.

Harry was filled with a sea of warmth at her outburst, as he realized that her devotion and loyalty shone through even the most shocking revelation. He decided to lighten the situation with some humor. "Language, 'Mi." He teased gently.

"Oh, Harry." She chuckled softly, realizing what he was doing.

"Are we okay?" He whispered with an almost pleading tone.

The young witch threw her arms around her best friend in reply to his question. "Of course we are okay." She said. "I understand the need for secrecy." She sighed, and pulled back. "But there are things that still puzzle me."

Severus stood back, and watched as his son explained some of the situation, and he had a sense of pride growing inside him, as he witnessed how well the information was received. He always suspected that Harry had found a real friend in Miss Granger, but it was a whole different thing to see it for real. He remembered how his son had pleaded with him to share the truth with Hermione after the end of his first school year, and every year after that, but he always refused. Now he had to consider that perhaps he was right all along, and they should have trusted the clever witch sooner, then again she still did not know everything, so they might yet be on thin ice with her.

"I would be happy to answer your questions, Miss Granger." He offered, and the Gryffindor witch looked at him gratefully.

"Well, I understand that Harry's identity needs to remain a secret, but what I have trouble grasping is Harry's reaction towards both the aftermath of the Tournament, and the conversation we have overheard." She turned to look at Harry. "Were you not aware of these things, or...?"

Harry looked at her and sighed. "Dad always keeps me informed of everything that I need to know, Hermione. I needed to learn to play along with their little games, so I do not give away the fact that I know what they are up to. It had been hard at times, but crucial for our survival." His eyes darkened. "These are rotten people, 'Mi, and they will stop at nothing to harm the ones who stand in their way, and Dad and I are firmly opposing Dumbledore and his Order."

Hermione's heart sank into her stomach as she thought about all the little tidbits Harry had shared with her over the years, and all the moments that they were emotionally open with each other. Was everything genuine, or was that all part of the act? _Did she really know this fine young wizard, or was she led astray, like the rest of the school?_

Her musings were quite audible for everyone to ' _hear'_ , as her thoughts were frantic and desperate. Harry reached out to hold her hand gently in his once more, and gave it a tender squeeze. "Ask what you would like to know, 'Mi, I won't lie to you."

She took a shallow breath and spoke. "Was it _all_ an act?" She asked in a whisper. "The little personal details, and moments we have shared. Were you acting then as well?"

Harry's eyes drank in the panicked state his best friend was in, and he swallowed. It was really hard to face up to the fact that he was causing her such emotional uncertainty, and he wanted to clear it all up, before it got worse.

"No. It was not an act." He shared softly. "Everything I told you was true, I never once lied to you, I just kept the whole truth from you, to protect my family."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "So, the Dursleys..." She trailed off.

"I have been living under their roof, and they are verbally abusive." He frowned, and looked up as Severus placed a shooting hand on his shoulder.

"We cannot live together, Miss Granger. Unfortunately Dumbledore did some sort of wacky blood magic in relation to Lily, and he insists that while Harry resides there, no harm can come to him. He doesn't care that Lily's sister, Petunia, and her husband, Vernon, loathe Magic, and as an extension, they despise Harry." Severus explained, and squeezed his son's shoulder. "All I was able to do was stop them physically harming my son. I cannot do anything else for the moment, but rest assured, Miss Granger, once I am able, I plan to take him away from there."

She nodded, and her gaze rested at Harry's face. "What about your reaction to Cedric's 'death'?" She asked softly.

"That was genuine." He said with a tightness in his voice. "I thought that they murdered Cedric for real, and I was beating myself up about the fact that I could not protect him."

"Oh, Harry!" She whispered, and embraced him once more, gently running her fingertips through his hair. "I am sorry for doubting you, this situation is rather new for me." She admitted, and the teenage wizard tightened his hold around her.

"It's alright. I would have had the same doubts as you, if the situation was reversed." He admitted and pulled back, glancing at his Dad, who nodded once more. "Hermione, there is one more thing that we need to talk about..."

Hermione's heart tightened in her chest, as she heard the nervous edge in Harry's voice. "What is it, Harry?" She asked, but the reply came from another source.

 **" _Well, how do you feel about the Dark Arts, Miss Granger?_ "**

* * *

 **A/N:** Plot twist upon plot twist. I kept chuckling to myself while I was writing this. I hope you can get on board with my twists, because they will certainly keep on coming. I figured I might as well change history, as it very well could have happened this way.

What will Hermione's views on the Dark Arts be? Will she be able to accept that her best friend and his family is firmly aligned to the Dark? Will she embrace her own Darkness, or try to deny she has anything dark about her?

Stay tuned to find out!


	3. Secrets & Affairs

The air seemed to have been sucked out from the Room of Requirements, as Severus asked Hermione about her view on the Dark Arts. It was a question that caught the Gryffindor witch rather off guard. Her eyes widened slightly, and she stared at the imposing Potions Master, as his obsidian orbs pierced into the windows of her Soul.

Harry glanced at his best friend with genuine curiosity, and a sense of looming dread. He knew that things would not end well for his friendship with 'Mi, if her views were stark opposite theirs. He folded his arms in front of his chest, as he anxiously anticipated her answer to his father's question. He was aware of the ever present thirst for knowledge that Hermione had, and that gave him hope that she would not turn away from embracing a side of Magic that could give her more of what she was constantly yearning after.

"Well?" Snape echoed.

Hermione took a shallow breath, and closed her eyes briefly to calm herself down. Her brain was working over-drive, trying to analyze the situation, and ascertain the reason behind the question. She had a feeling that her answer to this blatant inquiry was really important to not only her friendship with Harry, but her own happiness.

The brunette witch had a secret of her own, but it was not the time for that to come out just yet, so she needed to thread carefully for now. She was certain that her thirst for knowledge could be a logical excuse for her interest in _all_ areas of Magic, as she wanted to know _everything_.

She took a deeper breath and opened her eyes, staring straight into the Potions Master's dark orbs, steeling herself mentally for what was to come.

"Why do you ask?" She stalled, both for time, and so she could assess the situation a bit more.

The dark wizard raised an eyebrow. "Miss Granger, with your intelligence I am sure you already figured that out."

"Right." She nodded.

Hermione _did_ have a good idea why they were curious, she just hoped she was right, otherwise things would spiral downhill really fast, and she would have to show just how good her wand work really was, because as much as she showcased her quick wit, she downplayed her true skills when it came to the practical side of Magic. Not even Harry had a true idea of her skills, but really that was the point.

 _A secret was only a secret if it was well protected._

Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he studied his friend's face. He saw the tell-tale signs of Hermione's mind at work, as she always bit her lower lip when she was deep in thought. It was a quirk of hers that the young wizard found completely captivating, and he found himself staring at her lips more and more these days.

He shook his head slightly, and waited for her to speak. He didn't have to wait long.

"Every area of Magic holds a certain interest for me. With my love for knowledge, it is only logical to branch out and study every aspect of the ability that makes us able to shape the world to our own design." She said diplomatically, but both wizards got the underlying message her statement held, yet respected the subtle way she spoke about it.

"Very good, Miss Granger. There is hope for you yet." Snape said with a satisfied twitch of his lips.

Hermione let out the breath she did not know she was holding, and glanced at Harry, who was smiling widely at her, which she returned in kind. She felt relieved that her views were shared, because otherwise the situation would have been terribly awkward. Perhaps sometime soon, she would be able to share a part of her with him that always worried her that he would never accept. The tides seemed to have been changing however, thus she had a feeling he would accept all of her.

"Harry?" She asked softly. "Can you tell me why this question was relevant?" She knew, but she wanted to be sure of it, and she wanted to hear it from her best friend.

"Mhm." He nodded. "We asked you about your stand on the Dark Arts, because my father and I are firmly aligned with the Dark side." He said, looking straight into her eyes, and was pleased that he saw the warm brown orbs light up.

"Very good." She grinned at him, and her reply shocked both wizards into silence.

While it was understandable that she would be interested in everything that she could learn about Magic, they found her easy, cheerful acceptance about their alliance with the Dark a little bit strange, considering the bigotry that she was constantly facing because of her origins from the Purebloods of their society.

"I believe you have some explaining to do as well, 'Mi." Harry said carefully. While he was excited that she was happy about it, he felt like there was _something big_ he was missing here.

"You are of course correct." She agreed. "However we cannot discuss this here, because even these walls could have ears."

Snape's eyebrows were buried deep in his hairline. "I assure you, Miss Granger, that we would not have been discussing my son's and my own familial ties, if this room would not be secure."

"I understand that, Professor, however if anyone got wind of my secret, it would be disastrous." She confided in them. "We best discuss it out of the castle's premises." She suggested. "We will be leaving school in a few days, and I will be meeting my mother at King's Cross, when we arrive in London. You are both welcome to accompany us to our Summer Cottage, where we will be able to talk about what you want to know." She offered.

Severus was surprised at the confident tone his student was using, because she was showing a completely different side to her in the manner she was currently carrying herself with. He was intrigued to find out more, because apparently the Snapes were not the only ones with a secret.

Harry shared in his father's surprise, but he also enjoyed seeing this new side to his friend. The way she talked, and held their attention, was very attractive to him. "Alright, 'Mi. I would love to see your holiday home." He smiled brightly at her. He was curious, but if there was one thing he had to learn in their web of deception, it was that patience was key to success, so he could wait a few days to learn more about Hermione.

"Will you be able to handle the Dursleys, Dad?" He turned to his father with a hopeful expression, and received a nod.

"Naturally." Snape drawled. "A few Compulsion Charms, and a couple of well-placed false memories, and they will think they planned to go on holiday without you, while they dump you with Mrs. Figg, who will just happen to go on vacation herself." He smirked.

"What happens if someone from the Order realizes I am not at Privet Drive?" Harry asked.

"I got that handled." His father said with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "All that needs is some Polyjuice Potion and the Imperius Curse." He explained, and the teens nodded, seeing how that would work well.

"Well, I think we should make our way back to the Headmaster's office, or he might start wondering why we are not around yet." Hermione remarked. She liked this new honesty that the three of them had between them, but she was nervous that not every card was facing upwards on the table yet.

"Good point, Miss Granger." Snape agreed, and they stood up. "I assume you are well versed in the art of Occlumency?" He asked, and she smiled at him.

"I am." She admitted. That was one of the first skills she mastered. "Your secret is more than safe with me." She promised, and her heart swelled at the happiness Harry portrayed when his father engulfed him in another hug.

"Be careful, Harry." Severus said, as they pulled back from each other, and he glanced at Hermione. "Look out for each other." He said to her, surprising her completely. This was about the first decent thing he ever said to her. She nodded in response, grabbed Harry's hand and they took off towards Dumbledore's office, leaving a worried, but intrigued father behind.

"Who would have thought that Miss Granger was this devious..." He mumbled to himself, before he made his way towards his Potions Laboratory to see to his priorities.

~oo~oOo~oo~

As the meeting disbanded, it was only Albus and Molly who were left in the room, having their own private discussion. The redheaded matriarch was the Headmaster's most trusted ally, whom he did not even consider a pawn, as they had so much history and mischief between them.

"I don't trust Severus." Molly said quietly, as she sat on his desk, crossing her legs in a tasteful manner. "He is way too secretive about his business for my liking."

"Nonsense, my dear." Albus waved her worries off. "Severus can be trusted, he is way too indebted to my generosity not to be." He smiled, and twirled a lock of the plump witch's hair between his fingertips. "I would know if he was up to something."

"Are you sure though, Albus?" She asked, leaning into his touch. "He is well versed in Occlumency, and he did join Voldemort's circles a few years ago, we all know that."

"Yes, my dear, I am positive." He nodded, and glanced at her. "He was instrumental to the downfall of the Potters, and it was to my own nudging that he joined Tom's ranks. He might be a brilliant Potions Master, and a tremendous asset to our cause, but a Mastermind he is not." He chuckled. It was ridiculous to even think about the possibility that Severus could be playing him, as he gave him a second chance at life, and a job he enjoyed.

"Very well." Molly nodded and curled her lips into a seductive smile. "Are you coming around for dinner today?"

Ever since Albus recognized Molly for the delightfully devious witch she really was, when she administered a Love Potion to Arthur in her final year of Hogwarts, and he took her as his unofficial Apprentice, they had been having a secret affair.

They could not be together publicly, as the age difference between them would be heavily frowned upon, and he knew that Molly needed a good reputation for their plans to work, but they managed to find time for each other, and the Headmaster's plans always included her.

In their own twisted way, the elderly evil wizard and the deviously wicked witch were in love.

"I would not miss your cooking for the world." He chuckled. "What about Arthur?"

"When have you known Arthur to be a problem, love?" She smirked wickedly. "A good Dreamless Sleep Potion, and he will be out for the night."

"Your manipulative ways always manage to turn this old wizard into a teenager." He grinned, implying that they would be looking forward to a _fun_ night indeed.

"I will take care of my teenage wizard, don't you worry." She replied flirtatiously, and Albus pulled her closer, stealing a quick kiss.

"As much as I would love for this to continue..." He trailed off suggestively. "You need to go. Harry and Miss Granger will be here any second now, and it would be hard to explain our current predicament."

Molly nodded, stood up, and grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepping into the fireplace to floo home. "I will see you later, darling." She winked, and spoke her destination clearly, disappearing from the room.

The Portraits were all looking on with disgust, but they were compelled by their previous oath as Headmaster, and Headmistress, to keep the meetings happening under their watchful eyes confidential, but Merlin did they have a story to tell the world.

The Headmaster barely had time to get his affairs in order, before he had two distraught students to deal with.

"Harry, Miss Granger, come on in." He said gently, putting his well-practiced kindly grandfatherly persona into good use. "I trust Madame Pomfrey has taken good care of you."

"Yes, sir, she did." Harry said quietly, as he sat down on one of the chairs, with Hermione sitting down beside him. It did not miss Dumbledore's attention that they were holding hands, but he masked his irritation with a sugary sweet expression of concern.

"How are you holding up, my boy?" He inquired, peering at the young wizard from behind his half-moon shaped spectacles.

Harry frowned, tensing up. "Fine." He said with a tightness in his voice.

 _How could the old coot even ask that, after the events of the Third Task?_ He was secretly fuming in his head, and only the soft touch of Hermione's hand on his knee calmed him enough from blowing up in his face.

"If I may be so bold, my boy, you don't look fine at all." The Headmaster remarked carefully. "I am sorry to inflict further inconvenience upon you, but it is imperative that I know exactly what happened after you grabbed the Cup."

"I insisted that Cedric and I both reach for the Cup at the same time, since that would have meant a double victory for Hogwarts." Harry swallowed. "If I have known it was a Portkey, I... I wouldn't have..." His voice trembled, and Hermione leaned closer to engulf him in a gentle hug.

"Go on." Dumbledore urged him kindly, but underneath it all he was pleased that the boy was as broken as he was supposed to be.

"The Portkey had dumped us in some abandoned graveyard. The moment we hit the ground, spell-fire was flying from Pettigrew's wand and..." He swallowed heavily."I barely had time to warn him, when the rat stuck C-cedric with the Killing Curse."

"It was not your fault, Harry." Hermione said softly, caressing his back soothingly.

"Miss Granger is right, of course. You must not blame yourself." Dumbledore said emphatically, even though what he really meant was that naturally he should blame himself, after all, it was all his fault.

Harry ignored the elderly wizard and continued on. "After he died, Voldemort and Pettigrew used my blood in some dark ritual to bring him back to life." He said, his eyes dim and empty. "He grew into this..., this _thing_ , with pale green skin and no nose, it was utterly vile and ridiculous at the same time." He frowned and shuddered. "He started spouting insults at me, and taunted me, calling his band of followers, and then he challenged me to a duel."

"Oh, Harry." Hermione whispered with tears in the corners of her eyes. Her heart went out to her best friend for going through all that, knowing everything that she knew now, did not make a difference in the traumatic experience, even if it was cruel make-belief.

Harry squeezed her hand and stared at his lap, refusing to look up at the elder wizard in front of him.

"Well? What happened with the duel?" Dumbledore urged him to continue.

"He threw unforgivables at me, and I countered with _Expelliarmus_..." He said with distaste apparent in his voice. "But then something strange happened." He admitted, glancing at the Headmaster. "Our wands seemed to have connected, and a bright golden light surrounded the both of us, and then Cedric, and m-my Mum and D-dad appeared out of thin air, talking to me..." His eyes glistened with tears.

"Ah, Priori Incantatem." The silver haired wizard nodded to himself.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, looking at him in mock confusion.

"Sir, what kind of spell is that?" Hermione asked, her face portraying a mix of curiosity and innocence. Her father would have been extremely proud of her that moment.

"When two wands share identical cores, and they are engaged in a duel against one another, the winner forces the loser's wand to reproduce echoes of the most recent spells it had performed, in reverse order. It so happens that your wand Harry, and Voldemort's, share a phoenix feather core, that came from my trusty Fawkes' tail feathers." He said serenely, peering at the golden perch the bird was currently resting on.

"Oh..." The Gryffindors exclaimed and shared a glance with each other.

"How is Cedric's family holding up?" Harry ended up asking, looking down at his shoes. "They must really hate me, and that their son died instead of me."

"Amos and Thalia are heartbroken, but I am sure they are not blaming you." He assured him. "They are due to leave the castle's premises with their son's body any minute now."

"Would..., would you mind if I had a word with them?" Harry asked carefully.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded. "Of course, my boy."

"Thank you." He whispered, and reached out to grab Hermione's hand for reassurance.

They sat in awkward silence for the next ten minutes, while they waited for the Diggories' arrival. Dumbledore was going over his plans in his head, while silently subtly observing the wizard and witch sitting in front of him. He didn't like the way they would draw comfort from one another. Young Ginevra would have to do something fast, if their plans were to work out the way he imagined. He would have to ask for Molly's assistance at their rendezvous.

"Albus!" Came a deep male voice from behind the Gargoyle. "Thalia and I are ready to floo home." Amos Diggory said, as they walked inside, with solemn expressions plastered on their faces.

"Mr. Diggory?" Harry spoke. "May I have a word with you and your wife?" He asked timidly, averting his gaze.

Hermione saw Mrs. Diggory stiffen, as she gazed at her best friend, her eyes growing colder, but in a split second she masked her true emotions, and looked at him as timidly, as Harry looked at the floor. That was when she realized how strange and ridiculous this whole situation truly was, and she compared it to a scene out of a soap opera with all these performances everyone was putting on.

Briefly she wondered if The Powers That Be were watching them with an amused expression, but she quickly waved those thoughts away and stepped next to Harry, as he stood up to face the music.

"Mr. Diggory, Mrs. Diggory, I would like to say how truly sorry I am, it's all my fault." Harry blurted out with a strained voice. "If..., if I didn't suggest to Cedric that we both grab the Cup..., this would not have happened. I understand if you blame me, and I take full responsibility." He mumbled.

Amos had felt a pang of guilt as he looked at the clearly distraught boy, and wished that his fate did not have to be set in stone, but he could not possibly do anything about what was already decided, so he repressed his feelings and spoke.

"Cedric would have done the same thing you did, Mr. Potter." He said softly. "He is..., was, a very fair wizard." He said with a pause.

Harry gulped, and moved to take a bag of galleons out of his robes' hidden pocket. "This is the prize money, I want you to have it." He offered. "Cedric deserved to win, this does not belong to me."

As the raven haired wizard held the bag out, Thalia gently pushed his hand towards him, refusing to take it. "It rightfully belongs to you Mr. Potter, we don't need it." She said, and then after a pause, she added a biting remark, because she could not help herself. "Galleons won't bring Cedric back to us..." She said stiffly.

Harry shrank back to himself, the money bag slipping from his hands. "I am sorry." He repeated shakily, and made an abrupt exit from the room.

"My condolences for your loss, Mrs. Diggory, but none of this was Harry's fault, and that remark was ill done." Hermione said sharply, and leaned down to pick the money bag up, following after her best friend, leaving a speechless bunch behind her.

"Well, that went well..." Albus stated with sarcasm in his voice, staring at a now visibly out of sorts Thalia.

Punishment was in the air, and she was not going to like it.

* * *

 **A/N:** I thought I would end the chapter on that note, because what is better than a bit of a cliffhanger, as I am sure you guys would not mind seeing Alby's punishment techniques.

I am sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to write, I was in a bit of a writing block, but I am back now. I hope you enjoyed the Dumblewobbles twist I came up with. Both of them are just so deliciously evil in this story, that their affair made sense to me.

Whatever could Hermione's secret be? Those of you who guess right, will get to PM me scenes you want to see in the further chapters.

Hermione and Harry sure put on Oscar-worthy performances, huh?

Anyways, thank you for reading, and supporting me! :)


	4. Canaries & Redheaded Miscreants

The Weasley twins were rooted to where they stood completely shocked, as they were listening to the conversation between their little brother and sister, from behind a secret passageway.

"I cannot believe that we have to endure so much more of this bullshit." Ron groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "If I have to listen to another a bookish rant from that mudblood, I will strangle her with my bare hands."

Ginevra rolled her eyes. "You think your situation is tough? I am basically palmed off for arranged prostitution to conceive a child, without a thought to my feelings, or whether I am attracted to Potter, and between you and me, I am really not." She frowned, folding her arms in front of her chest.

That gave Ronald pause. "Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "What was up with all that blushing, and shy awkwardness in your first year then?"

His sister snorted. "Please, as if you were able to function around girls in your first year." She quipped, and then her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "You are sorely lacking any charisma with the ladies. Parvati still had not forgiven you for your behaviour at the Yule Ball."

"I was distracted by the mudblood." He explained, his ears reddening with embarrassment.

"Sure." She rolled her eyes again. "I get that you don't like her, I mean, I am not a fan of her either, and I completely believe that she is below us, but you cannot blame everything on her existence."

"The hell I can!" He yelled, making his sister jump. "Sorry. She is just..., she frustrates me, and I cannot wait until we can take care of her." He said darkly, and moved to embrace his sister. "I am sorry that our Phoenix Lord is making you sacrifice yourself for his cause." He whispered tenderly.

Ronald Weasley was many things: a hypocrite, a liar, and a complete and utter bastard, but if there was one person in the whole world that he actually loved, it was his little sister. He would easily give up his life for her if he had to, and they both knew that, thus it did not matter if they argued, or threw insults at each other, because at the end of the day, they relied on one another to draw the emotional comfort, that they were lacking from other sources.

"I know." She whispered, and held tightly to her big brother. "I am scared, Ronnie." She admitted in a small voice. "I don't know if I can do what our Lord is expecting of me."

His eyes widened in alarm. "I know he is asking a lot, but Ginny, you must do as he ordered you to do!" He tightened his hold around her small frame possessively. "I cannot lose my little sister." He whispered.

Unshed tears glistened in the young witch's deep brown eyes, as she glanced at her kin. "I will try." She whispered. "But you have to tone down the sass and your attitude around Hermione. No matter how we feel about her, that girl is smart, and she will suspect something eventually. I don't want you to get in trouble." She pleaded with him.

He took a deep breath and frowned. "I will try." He sighed, and kissed her forehead tenderly. "For you, I will even try to make nice with her."

"Thank you." She smiled lightly and laid her head on his shoulder.

Fred and George slowly backed away from the scene they witnessed, and quickly made their way towards one of their secret hideouts in the castle, using the many secret passages, and short-cuts that they knew about.

"Bloody hell-" Fred exclaimed, as they ducked into a small abandoned room, that was hidden behind rich emerald tapestries.

"I did not expect-" George answered, but his brother quickly stole the words out of his mouth.

"That our brother and sister-"

"Are in cahoots with old Dumblebore-"

"And what was up with Ron calling Hermione a mudblood?" Fred voiced incredulously.

George frowned at that, as he had harboured a bit of a crush for the clever witch, ever since he saw her in her ball gown. It was an eye opener for him, and he was determined to at least look out for her, even if he suspected that her heart was most likely focused on a certain other wizard.

"I know, but what was that bit about Ginny, prostitution, and a child with Harry?" He asked with poorly masked fury in his voice.

"Surely, our parents would not..." Fred's eyes widened, as he realized that little snippets of conversation they overheard between their mother and the Headmaster were starting to fall into place.

"Merlin..." His twin whispered in horror. "I can't-"

"Believe, that she would sink so low-"

"To spin such disgusting schemes-"

"Using her own daughter. Forge, We have to stop this. We have to talk-" He suggested.

"To Harry and Hermione. I have a bad feeling about this." George voiced, as he ran his hand through his messy red hair.

"It won't be pretty, but-"

"Our honour dictates that we do what's right, and-"

"Never what is expected from us!" Fred finished his line of thought, and they nodded.

They leaned closer to each other over a simple wooden desk, and had a whispered conversation, wherein they planned how to approach the young Gryffindors as innocently as they possibly could, so their siblings did not notice a thing.

It was a couple of days later, at the Leaving Feast, where they were finally able to put their plan in motion. When the Headmaster stood up to begin his speech, bedlam erupted, as several students, including Ron and Ginny, started to change shape, as they turned into neon yellow and green canaries, flapping their wings in a panicked motion. There was a murmur of cheerful snickering and a lot of finger-pointing from the students, who survived unscathed from the prank.

Dumbledore's expression was merry, but he was fuming inside, when he saw Potter do absolutely nothing to stand up for young Ginevra, when she ended up being pranked. He had a looming feeling that if the prank turned on Granger, his reactions would have been different.

Ever since their talk in his office a few days ago, both Potter and Granger avoided eye contact with him, and that worried the old wizard. He punished Thalia severely for her biting quip, as she went against direct orders not to further antagonize the boy, but she could not help herself.

Well, she was not so stand-offish once he was done with her...

He chuckled darkly inside his head as he reminisced about her sweet screams, as he ordered her husband to torture her with the _Cruciatus Curse_ , which had the added pleasure of punishing Amos at the same time. He always enjoyed killing two birds with one stone, but the absolute highlight of her punishment was when Cedric got a turn at dishing out the torture. He got really creative, after all, nothing better than a sometimes repressed young wizard holding grudges against his parents to do the trick.

The beauty of the whole situation was that he did not even have to raise a fingertip, as her own family did more damage than he could only dream of doing to her. Nothing more torturous than your own husband and son, whom you love dearly, turning on you.

He broke himself out of his reverie and cast a _Sonorus Charm_ on himself.

"SILENCE!" His voice boomed through the Great Hall, and everyone froze in motion, and turned to look at Dumbledore, such was the effect of his voice.

"It appears that someone played a prank on the student body tonight." He stated the obvious. "I am sure they did not mean any harm, however I will not stand for such chaos at the dinner table. Students, please reign in your childish behaviour, and calm down, and some of you really ought to accompany your fellow... canaries to the Infirmary." He said in a strange tone, that was both a mix of anger and amusement at the same time.

He watched satisfied as the students obeyed his orders, and he was absolutely delighted when Potter and Granger stood with the Weasley twins to accompany their friends to the Hospital Wing. Maybe there was hope for his plans yet. One way or another, Ginevra would end up pregnant by Potter, even if he had to cast the _Imperius Curse_ on both of them.

~oo~oOo~oo~

The quartet made their way towards the Infirmary, supporting the weight of two over-sized and very much annoyed canaries, who were making it a difficult walk to their destination. Hermione had a very hard time pretending that she was incensed, instead of letting the bubbling amusement that was threatening to spill out of her, free from it's restraints.

"'Mi, get a hold of yourself." Harry whispered in a barely audible hiss, as he noticed that she was struggling to contain her mirth. She bit her lower lip, and glanced at Harry, who had a playful light gleaming in his eyes as well.

They had an interesting couple of days. Since the revelations about Dumbledore, and each other, they have been growing even closer, if that was even possible. They discussed what transpired at the Headmaster's office at length, and concluded that the Diggories were one of the wizarding families under Dumbledore's thumb.

After they stormed out of the room, they made it back to the Room of Requirements, where they had burst out in manic laughter at the acting they pulled off, and then sobered up a few minutes later, and had a serious discussion, where they agreed to talk about what really happened in their previous years over their summer holidays.

"Earth to Hermione!" George flailed his arms in front of her teasingly, as he and Fred deposited Ron on one of the hospital beds, and turned to look as Harry did the same to Ginny, stepping back.

Hermione shook herself out of her thoughts and glanced at the redhead. "Hm?" She blinked.

"Were you doing an impression of Luna _up-in-the-clouds_ Lovegood?" He asked, giving her a lopsided grin, and she just rolled her eyes in reply, trying to look cross, but she was failing miserably, as she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

Hermione Granger had a bossy, up-tight image to uphold. The persona she projected to the world would never laugh at such a prank, which is why Harry stepped behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"So, why exactly have you pranked our fellow students?" He asked with a soft chuckle, and his eyes widened as Madame Pomfrey stormed inside with a furious expression on her face.

"MESSRS. WEASLEY!" She yelled at the twins, who audibly gulped. Their resident Healer had a temper as fiery as their Mother's.

"If it isn't the beautiful-" Fred flashed her a grin.

"The most fetching-" George continued with a cheeky wink.

"Utterly wonderful witch in-"

"The whole castle. We are so blessed to be in thy company." They bowed comically, and now it was Hermione grabbing Harry's hand, squeezing it slightly, to keep him from bursting out in peals of laughter.

Poppy sighed exasperatedly, as she was growing tired of the twins' animated, over-exaggerated flare. "Messrs. Weasley, when will you get it through your thick skulls, that meddling with experimental potions is dangerous?!" She asked, her ire showing.

"We know not what you are talking about dear lady-" George gasped, his hands clutching his chest in mock surprise.

"You wound us with such scandalous accusations!" Fred chimed in with wide eyes.

Madame Pomfrey pressed her lips into a thin line, and narrowed her eyes. "Out with you!" She grumbled. "Everyone who has not sprouted colourful feathers and a beak, will leave my Infirmary in this second, or else!" She raised her voice, and nudged them outside.

"Well, that went well." The twins said once they were outside, and they snaked their arms around Harry and Hermione, leaning in to whisper. "We need to talk with you two, just the four of us."

"Why?" Hermione raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"It's very important that you listen to us." George said with urgency in his voice.

"When and where?" Harry asked, as he squeezed the brunette witch's hand, to let her know that he thought that they should definitely hear them out.

"The only time we can manage to sneak away from the public eye for a discussion, is right now." Fred said, and the twins pulled the Gryffindor witch and wizard into a secret passageway, to lead them to the Room of Requirements, where they could talk in peace.

Once they were comfortably sitting in a cozy gold and red inspired room, Hermione glanced at the redheaded wizards, her eyebrows furrowed, as she was deep in thought.

"So, you decided to prank the school, because you wanted to talk to us?" She asked incredulously.

"My, Gred, she really is the smartest witch of her age!" George chuckled, and then his eyes turned serious. "We overheard a conversation between Ron and Ginny-" He started.

"And frankly, it was quite disturbing, and we thought-"

"That you two should really know about it, because they rang alarm bells in our heads."

Harry and Hermione shared a worried glance, and the raven-haired wizard spoke. "Go on."

"Well, you see..." Fred started the dice rolling.

"Ronnikins and Gin-Gin were discussing old Dumbledork-" George continued.

"And his Order of Flaming Flamingos-"

"And we overheard Ginny complaining that she is being palmed off for arranged prostitution." The twins said solemnly, and their fellow House mates' eyes widened with disbelief.

"That's horrible." Hermione said emphatically. She was not a fan of Ginny by a long shot, but she did not wish such a fate on her.

"I agree, but what does this have to do with us?" Harry asked carefully. He had a bad feeling about this. "I mean, I don't think 'Mi, or I can do anything about that. We do not really have a say in what goes on in the Weasley family." He pointed out, and Hermione nodded.

"We know, but she also said that it was you who was supposed to get her pregnant, mate." Fred said carefully, glancing at him warily.

"WHAT?!" Harry exclaimed rather loudly, jumping up from the couch. "That..., that is ridiculous! I would never..., guys, I would never touch your sister. She is really not my type." He explained, and glanced towards Hermione briefly.

"Chill out, mate!" George said, throwing his hands up in the air in a gesture of peace. "We know that you would never-"

"Ever do anything that would dishonour our little sister. But you need to know about this, so you can watch your food and drink." Fred said softly.

"I am relieved that you know that I would never do anything of the sort to her." The teenage wizard sighed, as he slipped back down to the couch.

Hermione looked up at the twins and asked the question that was bothering her, ever since they brought up that they needed to talk to them, both of them.

"Why did you want to speak to me?" She asked, staring at their freckled faces. "I mean, Harry is my best friend..." She glanced at the wizard sitting beside her warmly, and turned her attention back to the twins. "...but, you could have just grabbed him for this conversation, without needing to create chaos beforehand."

"'Mione..., uh-" Fred started with an uneasy look.

"Don't call me that!" She grimaced, and folded her arms in front of her chest.

George chuckled at her antics, and mused about how easy it was to rile her up, even though that was not his brother's intention at all. "Mia, we do have a rather unpleasant bit of information for you as well." He frowned, and Harry raised an eyebrow at the affectionate nickname he sometimes himself used.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"Well, you see-" Fred started, but George cut him off, as he saw the growing frown on the witch's face at his twin's direction, and that was never a good sign with Hermione Granger.

"What my less charming counterpart was trying to say, was that for some weird reason Ron has it out for you." George explained with a dark look in his eyes. "He was referring to you as a mudblood, and was alluding to you being _"taken care of"_. I don't know what he meant exactly, but it certainly was not anything good."

The witch in question glanced at Harry, and turned back to stare at the twins.

"I know." Hermione replied to the shock of all the occupants in the room.

Harry was beginning to feel worried for a moment, that she was going to come clean about everything to the Weasleys, but calmed down when she continued.

"While the rest of the school may have the impression that Ronald and I are friends, we haven't been that, not even for a single second." She said sadly. "He had been hostile towards me, ever since we arrived in Hogwarts, and it progressively got worse each year. So, I know. I am not surprised that he has it out for me."

"Hermione, we are so sorry for his stupidity and disgusting bigotry-" Fred started.

"We always knew he was not a nice person, but we never suspected that he agreed with the Pureblood dogma." George said sadly, averting his gaze slightly.

"It's okay, I am not bothered by it." She said, and they raised an eyebrow. "Well, okay, I would be lying if I said it did not sting a little bit, but I am used to it."

Harry turned towards her, and leaned in to give her a hug. "I am sorry that he is such a jackass, 'Mi. I mean, he has not been a good friend to me either, but yeah..." He trailed off, and turned towards the twins.

"I have a question to ask you guys, and I would like you to be honest." He said, his emerald green eyes boring into twin hazel orbs.

"You know us, Harry, we are always straightforward." George said, and Hermione snorted.

"Oi! I don't know what you are implying, young lady!" Fred waved his index finger in front of her face, and she had a ghost of a smile playing in the corner of her lips, as they curled slightly upwards.

"Uh-huh, sure." She said teasingly.

"Guys, come on, concentrate!" Harry sighed exasperatedly. "I am trying to ask a serious question here, and you lot are goofing off. Even you, Mia... Who would have thought?" He quipped, poking her side.

She just grinned at him, and laid her face on his shoulder. "Alright, Mr. Serious, ask these mischief-makers your question, I will keep them in line!" She said playfully.

The twins were staring at her, completely surprised that she had a sense of humour. _Where was she hiding it before?_ They shared a glance between the two of them, silently vowing to solve this new puzzle their favourite witch appeared to be. _They did like a good mystery_.

"Alright, Boy-Wonder-" Fred grinned.

"Ask us your question." George chuckled.

"Alright. As we all are aware, there are dark times ahead, and a war is brewing, or perhaps, it never stopped. There comes a time in all of our lives, where we have to pick a side, and decide where our loyalties lay." He voiced his thoughts, and everybody nodded.

"My glaring question is... _**What side are you on?**_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** I felt like this story needed some redheaded miscreants to liven up the place, and it also needed some Ron and Ginny moments. I am kind of feeling that he has a total overprotective sister complex, which just kind of happened. She is the one person he actually cares about, and he will go out of his way to protect her. I am not sure if he will actually stand up to Dumbledore for her, or not yet, we will see. For now, he just wants to go along with the plan for her safety.

So. What do you think the twins will say? Are they on Dumbledore's side? Are they Dark? Are they Neutral? Or are they simply on Harry's and Hermione's side? Who knows, I haven't yet decided this actually. Anything can happen! ;)

Thank you for reading and I appreciate all the follows, favourites and reviews!


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